It may have not been a giant splash in the NBA universe when the Thunder traded their #21 and #26 picks to the Hornets for #11 pick Cole Aldrich and Morris Peterson’s $6.2 million dollar contract, but the ramifications of that maneuver revealed very interesting and very significant things about where the Thunder are at in the franchise’s young history and where they intend to go from here.

So let’s have a look at just what that maneuver means for the Thunder franchise:

1. The Thunder will not be players in free agency

All that cap space that so many people have been either complaining about (not using it) or raving about (we’re getting Bosh! we’re getting Bosh!!!!) regarding how to run a team and what the team will do in free agency and who they will go after.

Gone.

From Daequan Cook to Mo Peterson to the 11th overall pick in Cole Aldrich, that projected $15 million dollars in cap space has been widdled all the way down to about $6.6 million ($5.6 million if they re-sign Kyle Weaver) which is enough to sign a Mid-level type of talent but definitely not enough to make any kind of neon-lights signing.

Which the Thunder were really never in the running to make in the first place despite however many individuals pined after or hoped for Chris Bosh or David Lee to make their way to OKC. That scenario never resonated with Presti’s mantra and I’m sure most free agents never really viewed OKC as that undeniable dream landing spot for an elite NBA free agent.

Morris Peterson: “I definitely want to be in Oklahoma City,” Peterson said. “They’ve got great fan support, a class organization. And they’re a team that’s on the rise and I feel like I can come and give them some veteran leadership and help with my basketball skills.” Keep Reading…

(Morning friends. Thank you for your support of Daily Thunder. Go USA.)

So I don’t know if you’ve heard, but the Thunder drafted this guy named Cole Aldrich. And one of the underrated aspects of Aldrich is his personality. I don’t know what it is about those Jayhawks, but much like Nick Collison, Aldrich has a pretty good sense of humor. Observe here.

By rule, an NBA team is allowed 15 roster spots of players signed and practicing, three of those being required inactive players. (You have to have 13 players with the team, one being out of uniform and inactive to be clear.) After the draft, Oklahoma City will have 15 players under contract, including new additions Morris Peterson, Cole Aldrich and Daequan Cook. Add Tibor Pleiss to the mix, who Sam Presti is expected to persuade to stay here instead of going back overseas, and that puts the Thunder at 16.

Ziller grades the Thunder a B+: “After myriad moves, the Thunder pulled away with Cole Aldrich, a future Clippers first-round pick, the rights to Tibor Pleiss, the last season of Morris Peterson’s NBA career, and, for some reason, Ryan Reid. A fine night, indeed.”

Chad Ford: “The Aldrich pick is a solid choice for the Thunder. They don’t have a lot of depth in the middle and Aldrich should be able to block shots and rebound right away. He’s a decent offensive player with a good chance to improve. This is basically a need pick for the Thunder. While there may be better talent on the board, Aldrich can step right in and play.” Keep Reading…

Oklahoma City trades No. 21 and 26 for the rights to Cole Aldrich and Morris Peterson

We heard about it for weeks. The Thunder wanted in the lottery. And they got there, getting their man, Kansas product Cole Aldrich.

(Just so you know, this trade won’t be official until July 8 because of a moratorium period that I don’t completely understand. But it’s virtually a done deal.)

What’s weird about this is that Aldrich wasn’t really ever on many radars. We heard a ton about Daniel Orton. We heard a bunch about Solomon Alabi. We wondered if OKC could get high enough to grab Cousins or Monroe. But in the end, it was Cole Aldrich (and Morris Peterson) coming from New Orleans for the 21st and 26th pick.

Basically, if you deduce these events, the Thunder traded the 32nd, 21st and 26th pick for Aldrich, Daequan Cook and Peterson. That’s not bad at all. Before the night started, everyone agreed the Thunder’s needs were inside big man and shooter. Needs: addressed. Well, potentially. Cook is a proven shooter and even Peterson can stroke from outside, depending on where he fits on the roster, but Aldrich isn’t a finished product, at least offensively. And you would hope not, with the guy being 21 years old. Keep Reading…

Last year, we were in an entirely different boat. The Thunder’s place was set in stone and really the only question was, Rubio or Harden? Oklahoma City was picking in the top three and all eyes were on us. It was exciting.

This year, it’s different. The draft’s not nearly as exciting in a sense of the Thunder adding a top five impact player, but it’s probably more intriguing because of the options OKC comes in with. Three picks in the first round with only a couple of roster spots? Something’s gotta give here.

6:25 PM CST: Almost time for the fun to begin. The latest rumor coming from Marc Spears of Yahoo! is that Tibor Pleiss is rocketing up boards and OKC might take him at 18. Or OKC might trade that pick. Or OKC might not draft anyone at all and use the picks on a vending machine and a new copier for the coach’s office. I guess we’ll find out soon enough.

6:35: This is taking far too long. It’s obvious this is a TV decision, just so that we can all hear from Jay Bilas, Jon Barry and Jeff Van Gundy talk about stuff we already know. I love television run draft events.

6:38: Oh, John Wall.

6:41: I swear I saw Daniel Orton in one of those John Wall highlights. I imagine we’ll see that same highlight when Orton is picked later, because you know, there aren’t many to pick from. Because he didn’t play very much you see. Keep Reading…

Here’s an early afternoon recap of the trade rumors circling about involving Oklahoma City. I’ll update this throughout the day when more surface. Also, if you’re not going to Toby Keith’s, follow along with me as I do another wildly popular live draft diary of tonight’s events. It will be life-changing.